Jonathan Bernstein: “I can think of a lot of greater tragedies in U.S. politics than headaches for the Chamber’s political strategists, or diminished influence for business interests in general. But the real problem isn’t about business interests. It’s about the collapse of the Republicans’ ability to create policy and function within a democracy, along with partisan polarization that pushes both parties away from pluralistic policy agendas. That’s bad news for everyone.”
Why Trump Wants You to Think He’s Running In 2024
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Montana Exits U.S. Climate Alliance
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) has discontinued his state’s membership in a coalition of two dozen states dedicated to fighting climate change, the Associated Press reports.
“The U.S. Climate Alliance is a nonpartisan group committed to achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. Democratic former Gov. Steve Bullock joined the alliance in 2019.”
Trump Supporters Disrupt Katie Porter Event
“A melee broke out at Rep. Katie Porter’s (D-CA) district town hall meeting Sunday, with her backers scuffling with supporters of former President Trump who were loudly interrupting the congresswoman as she spoke,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“Porter said that the acts of the protesters were premeditated.”
Edwin Edwards Is Dead
“In Louisiana, a state notorious for colorful politicians, Edwin Edwards blazed for half a century, a near-perpetual neon rainbow,” the Washington Post reports.
“The former Louisiana governor and U.S. congressman, 93, who died July 12 of respiratory problems, was a brazen practitioner of the corrupt-politics-as-theatrics style mastered by the legendary Depression-era demagogue Huey Long.”
“Mr. Edwards served three full terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, four terms as governor and, starting in 2000, eight years in federal prison for racketeering, extortion and related crimes. He staged an unsuccessful political comeback in 2014, running once again for a House seat, and was quick-witted and resilient even at the lowest points of his career.”
A Reminder on Working-Class Democratic Voters
Ray La Raja: “Primaries are about factional battles within parties, and Eric Adams won a major fight last week. The message from Adams’s win in New York City’s Democratic primary — echoing that of President Biden’s victory last fall — is that the Democratic Party is much more than the progressive left, even in the most progressive of cities.”
“His base of support, polling suggested, was not college-educated professionals but an ethnic and racial mosaic of older New Yorkers, many of whom lack college degrees.”
“Adams reminded us that less educated voters who make up most of the party have different priorities than the progressive left — notably on crime, a major issue in the race.”
Kristi Noem Slams GOP Governors Over Virus Restrictions
“South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem questioned the grit and instinct of fellow GOP governors who enacted Covid-19 measures like mask mandates and business closures to stop the spread of the virus… The state had 14,090 cases per 100,000 people, ranking South Dakota with the third highest rate in the nation,” CNN reports.
“Her comments Sunday were a shot across the bow from Noem as she positions herself in a field that has been essentially frozen by former President Donald Trump, who is teasing another run for his former office as he falsely claims that his 2020 contest with Joe Biden was rigged. Noem, who was greeted with a standing ovation at CPAC hours before Trump was slated to speak Sunday, has been defined in part by her intense loyalty to Trump.”
Global Tax Deal Faces Perilous Path
Wall Street Journal : “Both pillars present tricky legislative challenges. They likely will move separately through Congress, but the international consensus rests on pairing them and completing both tasks.”
“The Biden administration will try to turn its drive for a tougher minimum tax into legislation this fall without Republican votes by using the budget reconciliation process that requires a simple Senate majority instead of the 60 votes needed for most bills. The White House would then attempt to change the international rules, perhaps through a treaty requiring Republican support.”
Biden Rejects China’s South Sea Claim
Associated Press: “The Biden administration on Sunday upheld a Trump-era rejection of nearly all of China’s significant maritime claims in the South China Sea. The administration also warned China that any attack on the Philippines in the flashpoint region would draw a U.S. response under a mutual defense treaty.”
Conservatives Overwhelmingly Back Trump for 2024
“Former President Donald Trump handily won the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Sunday as attendees said they would overwhelmingly like to see him run for another term in the White House in 2024,” the HuffPost reports.
“The poll, a hypothetical survey asking respondents who they would vote for in the Republican primary if it were held today, saw Trump win 70% of the votes. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) came in second with 21% of the votes. A smattering of other contenders all garnered about 1% each, including Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.”
Fauci Blames Partisan Gap for Holding Back Vaccinations
Dr. Anthony Fauci said “ideological rigidity” is preventing people from getting Covid-19 shots and voiced frustration at the struggle to boost vaccination rates in parts of the country, Bloomberg reports.
Said Fauci: “It’s not an easy solution. We’ve got to get away from this divisiveness that has really been a problem right from the very beginning with this outbreak.”
Iran Fears What Could Follow In Afghanistan
“As Western forces exit Afghanistan, Iran is watching with alarm. The resolution of one long-standing aim, the withdrawal of U.S. troops, is unleashing a separate challenge: what to do about the Taliban, another longtime problem for Iran, swiftly regaining power and territory next door,” the Washington Post reports.
Texas Republicans Advance Voting Restrictions
Texas Tribune: “A Texas House committee voted early Sunday morning to advance a revived GOP-backed bill that would bring back many of the proposals that failed to pass in the spring. A panel of Senate lawmakers followed suit later in the day … The votes from the Republican-majority committees put the bills on a path to be voted on by the full chamber this week.”
Trump Praises Insurrectionists
Former President Donald Trump on Sunday widely praised those who attended the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the insurrection at the Capitol, repeatedly using the word “love” to describe the tone of the event, Politico reports.
Forbes reports Trump also claimed—without evidence—he has heard information that deceased Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was shot by a member of the U.S. Capitol Police while storming Congress, was instead killed by the “head of security” for a top Democrat.
Trump also all-but-confirmed he plans to run for president again in 2024: “I absolutely know my answer, and we’re going to do very well and people are going to be very happy.”
CNN: A weekend of demagoguery shows why Trump can’t be ignored.
Fox News Hosts Smear Vaccines
New York Times: “Opposition to vaccines was once relegated to the fringes of American politics, and the rhetoric on Fox News has coincided with efforts by right-wing extremists to bash vaccination efforts… The comments by the Fox News hosts and their guests may have also helped cement vaccine skepticism in the conservative mainstream.”
“Served up to an audience that is more likely than the general population to be wary of Covid vaccines, the remarks by Mr. Carlson and Ms. Ingraham echoed a now-common conservative talking point — that the government-led effort to raise vaccination rates amounted to a violation of civil liberties and a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
Cubans Take to the Streets
New York Times: “The rallies, widely viewed as astonishing for a country that limits dissent, were set off by economic crises worsened by the pandemic.”
Tucker Carlson Furious with Fox News Executives
“Tucker Carlson is furious with Fox News executives for not vigorously defending him amid his evidence-free claims that the National Security Agency spied on him in a conspiracy to destroy his TV show,” CNN reports.
However, Carlson denied the report when asked for comment: “I’m not mad at anyone at Fox. If I was, I’d say so. I’m mad at you for lying relentlessly. What a loathsome person you are. Please print that.”
Reconciliation Package Cut Back to $3.5 Trillion
“Key negotiators expect the Senate Budget Committee to settle on a roughly $3.5 trillion reconciliation package as the starting point for a Democrat-only bill for ‘soft’ infrastructure,” Axios reports.
“That total is well below the $6 trillion that Sen. Bernie Sanders — the Vermont independent who leads the committee — had initially proposed. Adopting it would be a blow to his fellow progressives.”
